brillmtb

I will have to say I was disappointed by a recent comparison I read.

It is interesting that they gave so many additional points to the Ford in the performance category. They stated that the Ford was 1 second quicker with a trailer than the Dodge and Chevy and when pulling uphill it could do so easier because it was not at redline like the other two. As such they stated the Ford could have done 80mph up the grade where the Dodge could only do 70mph and even at that the motor was at redline. Seems the auto needed to shift down to pull thier test hill.

They also critizied Dodge for not have a tow haul mode. This was noticed in the down hill section of the test where the other two kicked in to a lower gear automatically and held the truck with far less needed braking.

It was these areas that pushed ford way past and chevy just a little past the Dodge.

Perhaps I am new to truck reviews but should so many points in a truck competition been given for these findings? Are there better ways to have judged the three trucks. It just seems that peoples perception in general is that the dodge is the better truck but that is not what the "testing showed".

As I read the rest of the review it seems the Dodge won or came very close in all the other categories. Interesting

Future Dodge HO owner (truck in route)

XTOAK

Would you mind posting a link to where you read this information? Or reference the info so we can look it up in the magazine? Perhaps we can decipher the methodology, sponsor of the review, etc.<br><br>Alot of the testing I've seen on any product has been skewed based upon one aspect or another, or the review sponsorer has used the test to hype only one part of their product and not the entire package. One has to look at the big picture or one might be disappointed.

brillmtb

Certainly. I was shopping with the wife and kid so I didnt get a lot of time to read. It was one of the recent 4wd mags.

hotdram

I believe the article in question is in the August 2003 issue of &quot;Four Wheeler&quot; magazine (page 24). Somebody just gave me this issue today and I have not had time to read it, so I can not comment on the testing criteria their staff used in their evaluations. I glanced at the issue quickly and they rank the trucks as follows: 1st Ford, 2nd Chevy &amp; 3rd Dodge.

PADZZ

Here's the scans from the mag.. :<br><br>DODGE<br><br>FORD<br><br>Chebby

davec

It's not called FordWheeler magazine for nothing...

Badunit

The text of the article and the tests they performed seemed fair enough. The only mistakes I saw were them not using the overdrive switch on the Dodge on the downhills and their &quot;truckness&quot; rating that included a comparison of towing mirrors when only the Ford had towing mirrors. They could have also taken longevity and maintainability into account in the mechanical rating as well as braking performance and other things that would have swayed the test toward the Dodge. But they didn't. They did say repeatedly that all three were great trucks and were neck-and-neck, though.<br><br>I'd say with just the OD switch and the towing mirrors I'd add at least 6 points to the Dodge (5 mechanical, 1 &quot;truckness&quot and it would have come in second. With maintainability thrown in it would have won hands down and the Ford would have been third.

Vittorio

Well, I don't think my PSD 7.3 will hold a candle to the Dodge HO Auto. My neighbor's HO 6speed runs up and down those off road 6% to 8% grades pretty effortlessly with some big loads behind him. My 7.3 auto has a tough time with a loaded gooseneck behind. Of course, I've never tried the 6.0 in this country but would be curious if it runs as strong off the pavement as the HO does. [undecided]

Gordonville

???<br>I wonder if they were really using the HO CTD for the comparison. It appears the tests were run in California. They would have had to bring in an illegal Dodge since the HO is not available in CA. I don't really pay much attention to these comparisons. I have had GM and Fords. The last two Rams I have had have given me the most overall satsfaction. The new Chevy is ugly and my experience with Fords has been negative. I would have loved it if the Dodge would have won the comparison but it would be hard for the magazine to rule against the number one seller.<br><br>I think this forum is testimony to the Dodge. Many accolades, few complaints.

brillmtb

Yes, I checked and it was the four wheeler mag.<br><br>I am glad to here the comments here as my new HO crew cab 48 is within 1-2 days of my house.<br><br>The point about &quot;was it an HO&quot; is interesting because as noted they were in CA. Where did they get the HO?<br><br>I would agree that they seemed to have avoided the OD switch on the Auto but looking at the gear ratios that takes you to 1.0 and the others would be geared lower in the next gear down so the dodge may even have to manually be placed in 2nd. Perhaps this is what they really want to say.<br><br>They also make the point that the Ford could do 80mph up the hill because it has a 1000 rpm higher redline and the other two had to shift down , hitting near redline, hence the Ford could blow right past them if it wanted to. If the chevy and dodge were at redline and then shifting into 4th dropped the speed to 60mph then it appears the Ford, despite being close in power, may have made a good move in going to a higher redline motor.<br><br>I always heard the cummins has more torque, better torque curve than the new ford but if that does not translate into better performance then I am not sure that it matters?<br><br>I still like the dodge looks and other features over the other two. I suspect the motor is built better, I hope the rest of the truck holds up as well. I am somewhat concerned about the ride &quot;stiffness&quot; but then again it is a truck and when you put a load on it I am sure that this will help.

crabman

It would seem the 6.0L Ford I smoked going over the mountains last weekend hadn't been made aware of the fact that it was supposed to beat me. I was pulling my bass boat and he had a ski boat. When I stopped at the rest area on the east side of the hill (HWY 2) he also pulled in and wanted to know what I had done to my truck cause his was chipped and there was no way I could have beat him without serious modificationsor else I was burning up my truck running it way over redline. Practically called me a liar when I told him all I had in there was an ez and I had left it in OD since there wasnt any point to downshifting on a little hill with such a light load. Thats the real world. Consider a few other things. How many people do you know that climb long steep hills red lined? I dont nor does anyone I know. Most are under red line for sanity's sake as well as not putting that kind of strain on their engine for extended periods. Do their smart transmissions take the place of a good exhaust brake for those that tow heavy? Nope, the exhaust brake is still a desirable and some would say necessary option. For light towing engine braking isn't an issue. The truth is that testing doesn't always show whats going to happen in the real world with guys doing what they really do with their trucks. Just ask the guy in the 6.0 that was disappearing in my rear view mirror.

brillmtb

Nice to hear that crabman because my HO is just around the corner.<br><br>The redline issue stated another way is like this. The article painted a picture wherein the Ford was not near redline at 70mph going up the hill while the dodge and GM were. So the Ford could go up the hill without stressing the motor like the others.<br><br>I wonder if they really had the HO because it doesnt seem that the Ford should have been this much stronger and the GM should not have been as close in performance. sounds like the SO motor.

crabman

The chevys I have seen dyno'ed have all pulled the power they should have as have the Dodges. Not so with the new 6.0. I have seen several stock ones and one with a chip on the dyno and they all went under on power and way under (380) on torque. The one with the chip went 268, my truck was 246 stock for comparison. I would guess they made sure the one that was in the test was actually up to rated power. As I said though its one thing to make a test with whatever parameters and another in the real world. I talked to several of those 6.0L guys and all said they didnt tow as well as expected compared to the other trucks in real world driving.

Casey Balvert

I guess if your only goal is to make it up the hill first then buy a Ford. But if you want a truck with an engine that spends more time on the road than it does in the shop buy a Dodge. The Cummins is pretty well bulletproof. You can't be all things to all people. I like my Dodge. I certainly would not trade it for two Fords. FWIW<br><br>Casey